1. This module provides learning opportunities for students to further develop their professional and interpersonal communication skills. Students will be expected to achieve a sound knowledge of this area of work with an ability to communicate appropriately and a capacity to exercise some personal responsibility for their present and future professional learning and development.

SERVICE USER INVOLVEMENT

Service users will be involved in the simulated practice skills.

Specific topics to be addressed on this module include:

1. Simulated practice skills
2. Court room skills
3. Problem based learning
4. Working with families
5. Enhanced IT skills

1. Opportunities for students to practise basic interviewing skills
2. Whole group sessions which will involve large group role play scenarios
3. Opportunities to develop basic court room skills including court visits
4. Small group sessions to explore multi-disciplinary working (PBL)
5 Independent study for reading core texts
Students are required to engage with an experiential learning strategy in which they will be encouraged and facilitated to participate fully

Directed study and independent learning including preparation for seminars and for the assignment through guided reading, library research, internet and current news media coverage of social policy and social work issues. Work placement observation, entries in their professional development portfolio and use professional practice personnel appropriately as a resource for learning.
.
Practice based learning

This will involve the observation and interaction with professionals and service users, interviews,, reflective practice and applying learning to own practice.

1. Written analysis and reflection of a `live? simulated interview , including a written initial assessment and action plan
Learning outcomes 1 + 3

1,000 words
75% of the final mark

2. Group presentation based on the PBL to include multi disciplinary approach to social work practice
25% of the final mark
Learning outcome 2 and 3.


Formative assessment

Students will be given a `dry run? simulated interview with feedback to prepare for their assessed interview.

Module handbook
Recommended texts
Access to appropriate teaching accommodation

AND HAVE PASSED THESE PRE-REQUISITES - All Level 1 modules

AND CANNOT COMBINE THIS MODULE WITH - An equivalent module on a social work degree

You will need access to one of the following texts:

1) Thompson N (2002) People Skills 2nd edition. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan ISBN: 0.333.98746.2
2) Trevithick P (2005) Social Work Skills - a practice handbook. Maidenhead, Open University ISBN: 0.335.21499.1
3) Thompson N (2006) People Problems. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan ISBN: 1.4039.4304.4
4) Koprowska J (2005) Communication Skills, Exeter, Learning Matters ISBN: 1.84445.019.8
5) Hoskins G (1998) Plain English for Social Services: a guide to better communication. Lyme Regis, Russell House Publishing ISBN: 1.898924.14.7